15 years
by MoreZabby
Summary: How Abby and Gibbs met and how they became so close  based closely on Hiatus at end of S3 when Gibbs is ill
1. Chapter 1

"_So where were you 15 years ago?"_

Abby felt awkward, she didn't really want Mcgee to know how old she was. Or anyone for that matter! She always acted really young and overly active and would hate to admit that she had previously passed her 40th birthday.

Fifteen years ago Abby was out of college and working in a pharmacy. She liked to help people and it was awesome to learn about all of the chemical elements in common household medicines. There had been a man who kept coming into the pharmacy; he was on some pretty mental medicines. Apparently he had been a marine and had been in a big explosion. He was very strong looking, but very depressed. Every day that she saw him, she had spoken to him in order to try and cheer him up. Eventually his mood began to lift and she had asked him what had changed. "I took a holiday to Mexico" Gibbs had replied. Later Abby would suspect that the trip wasn't entirely innocent, but for then she just thought that it was an odd place to holiday.

One day her new friend asked her if she enjoyed her job or wanted to move up. Abby had been very confused but Gibbs said that they had an opening for a forensic lab tech at NCIS which was the new place that he was working. He said that he thought she'd be perfect for it, sometimes things could get bleak and her sunny demeanour would definitely make the place a better place to be. Abby asked the conditions then accepted an application form.

Shortly after that she was working at NCIS and she had discovered the love for Caff-pows, a highly energetic drink that helped combat the effects of the late nights. She knew that some people thought that they should have gotten someone with more experience in the field of forensics when it came to dead people.

Her first case had luckily been a supposed drug overdose, which Abby was quickly able to prove as a murder. Although this won her respect she was constantly striving to better herself and prove herself as worthwhile.

One day however, she broke down. When Gibbs asked her what was wrong she told of how it was so much pressure and how no one would think she was worthwhile. "Oh Abby – I always thought you were worth this position!"

That was the first time that the two hugged, Abby cried on Gibbs shoulder and he had comforted her, later he brought her a caff-pow in order to say that he hoped she would be ok! This started a tradition – at first Gibbs would bring coffee when he thought she was stressed out, but afterwords he would take her one every time he refilled his coffee just to say thank you for working so hard.

One day about 2 years after she began to work for NCIS something strange happened that would bring the two closer forever.


	2. Chapter 2

It started out as a normal day, there was a missing marine and they had found out that he had a child. Gibbs was getting more and more edgy as the day went on. He was very anxious to find the marine and was getting angry and slamming a lot of folders around as the day went on and they were marineless and free from clues. Gibbs was getting more and more emotional as time passed and Franks had told her not to ask what was which was something that Abby couldn't comprehend. Just as she had walked up to the bullpen to see if Gibbs was ok she saw him playing with the little girl, Lucy while Ducky was commenting on the pictures. They were sitting over drawings of horses and rainbows and Abby couldn't help but smile.

"Oh wow Gibbs, you are so good at hanging out with Kids, ever think of having any of your own?"

Gibbs froze, and then he shouted at her that it was none of her business and he left the girl with Ducky looking after her. He stormed off and Abby was left staring after him. She was so angry and confused that she decided just to head to her lab and play a relaxing song to try and calm down. She was so worried that she had done something, but she couldn't quite grasp what that was. She decided just to focus on the job ahead and find the marine before Gibbs came back even more upset. If that was even possible.

Gibbs came down to her lab after a while, carrying a Caff-pow in his right hand. He looked very absent and he asked her if she had any results. "Well Gibbs, I knew you would ask me that. I have managed to find a possible location as to where his car had been abandoned!"

"Why the hell did you not tell me that sooner Abby!"

"well I just found out there..."

Gibbs just looked at her with a disappointed look on his face. All Abby could think was that clearly Gibbs didn't think she was good enough for the job and that he was so upset and wouldn't say why and she wasn't allowed to ask why and he was going to hit something soon, or explode, Abby remembered when Gibbs had been so ill and needed so many medicines, what if he was dying, what if he was infertile from the medicines and she had went and offended him and made him feel like crap.

Abby started to cry and she turned up her music down in order to be able to ask in a nicer tone. She had been told not to ask but she knew she would have to. Just as she turned round to ask what was wrong she noticed Gibbs was crying. At first she thought it was because he had punched the desk too hard in frustration but then she saw, and felt, the pain in his face and the hurt in his eyes.

When she walked over to him and asked what was wrong she had learned of Shannon. Shannon and Kelly. Both dead, killed in the car crash while he was fighting for his country. She moved to hug Gibbs at this point as he started to sob. She tried to hold him up as he spoke of how Shannon was the only one he'd ever love and how Kelly was his life. It had been over 3 years and he still cried himself to sleep every night. At this Abby started to sob as well. She had never thought anyone could REALLY go through such terrible pains. She knew they did in movies, but she'd never met anyone with so much pain in their heart. AND he wasn't even goth!

She took Gibbs over to her futon that she kept in her lab and acted as both a pillar and a teddy bear that night as the man cried himself to sleep.

The next morning Abby felt Gibbs wake up. When she rolled over to see him she saw that he had put his strong face back on but that his eyes were purple from crying all night. As Gibbs got up to check on all of the machines Abby excused herself for a moment claiming a need for the toilet. She returned 10 minutes later with a cup of coffee and a bagel which she proudly handed over to Gibbs. She saw him staring at AFIS and decided to lighten the mood by saying in her best Gibbs voice;

"So tell me what you got Gibbs"

Gibbs smiled and replied "An apology – I never should have gone off at you like that Abby"

"Well I _guess _I could excuse you, just don't make it a habit young man!"

"Young man, pfft you wish" Gibbs said, his old sense of humour back. He said a quick thank you then pecked Abby's cheek on his way out of the lab.

That was the start of a deep friendship that could never be broken.


	3. Chapter 3

Now though, Gibbs had just woken out of his coma. A terrorist had put a bomb on a boat and Gibbs was damn lucky to be alive. This was not his first bomb explosion and Abby remembered full well how badly he had been injured in the last one.

It was up to her and the crew to catch the guy who had done this and she knew that they would. But Gibbs had forgotten everything. Fifteen years ago Gibbs had not yet become close with Abby and he was sure not to remember her.

She focused all of her energy into trying to be optimistic and cheerful – she knew the team needed her now but that didn't stop her finding a great pleasure when she managed to make Mcgee jump with her sound effects on a video analysis.

She spend the day putting on a mask, but all she could think of was how Gibbs would have to go through the loss of his wife and child all over again. That would be fun for no-one and she knew that Gibbs would need her now.

It was later that same day that Ziva had went to the hospital and brought Gibbs back to NCIS. Abby was so pleased to see her, but a part of her was ready to cry with the pain she knew he would be feeling. When he retired Abby let the tears fall before driving to his house that night. She walked straight in and found Gibbs curled up on the sofa in tears. Quietly she curled up beside him and stroked his hair. "It's ok Gibbs, I'm here for you!"

Gibbs tears grew heavier and Abby held him in her arms. "Abby its so horrible" He sobbed, Abby nodded silently "I mean September 11th, and now the boat and Shannon, oh Shannon!"

Abby started crying and hugged Gibbs tighter. They both fell asleep like that, two friends, father and daughter and colleagues.

Abby knew that she would miss Gibbs greatly but was very shocked when she awoke in the morning to find that Gibbs had went and got her a cup of coffee and a bagel.

"You remembered!" she exclaimed with tears in her voice.

"I could never forget you Abby" Gibbs said this with a smile and he picked up a big brown bag and a denim shirt. Abbys eyes opened and keeping in mind the mood she put on her best Gibbs voice and said once again.

"What've you got Gibbs?"

"Mexico"


End file.
